Senior Center Throws Out Election Results -- New Election This Week

The Payson Senior Center has been forced to throw out the results of last Thursday's Board of Directors election. The center is experiencing some tumultuous times with a hefty budget shortfall and a reported friction between some board members.

Seeking to expand their board, the center held an election to fill five seats on its board of directors.

According to center secretary Ruth Craig, two people interested in joining the board were to be nominated from the floor on the day of the election. However, the day before the election, their names were written in and they were voted on, which according to Craig is illegal.

"What happened was we had two incumbents and two additional people who agreed to run, and that was the slate presented to the board," Craig said.

"Then other people were asked and said they would serve, and they were to be nominated from the floor on the day of the election.

"But the day before (the election), their names were allowed to be written in on a blank ballot and voted for, which made it totally illegal -- so we had to throw the whole thing away and start over again."

Parliamentary rules require a candidate to be nominated and formally accept the nomination before voting can take place.

"Some of them who had not been nominated had already won," Craig said. "So we had to throw those away -- it was illegal.

"Some of the people who were running who didn't win would have challenged that and we didn't need that," Craig added. "We want the elections to be completely legal."

The Center has rescheduled the election and members will be given times during three days this week to cast their votes again for the board nominees.

Members of the center whose dues are paid for the 2003/2004 year may re-vote on June 17, 18, or 19 from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. at the senior center.